On Centre: Around Bellefonte | Mayor to start holding office hours next month

New Bellefonte Mayor Tom Wilson wants to open up more lines of communication with the community.

Next month, Wilson will begin holding office hours at the borough building from 10 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Fridays. The first session will be March 10.

Wilson said those sit-downs should stay consistent through summer, and he will look into the idea of changing locations if people want to meet in a more casual setting.

“I want people to know that if they want to sit down and chat that they have an opportunity to do that,” he said.

Wilson has been getting steady emails from people since taking office in January, saying there is a good balance between positive feedback and constructive criticism.

He said he tries to answer most concerns from people to let them know he’s seeing their concerns. Though the demolition of the Garman Theatre has been a hot topic in Bellefonte, he said the emails and calls about it are slowing.

And Wilson is trying to get out into the community to attend events and orientation sessions.

He attended a walk through of the Centre Area Transportation Authority headquarters and is planning to tour the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, among others.

For Wilson, representing Bellefonte at local gatherings is positive promotional activity.

“I think it’s important to be visible and accessible and to represent the town at some of these functions,” he said.